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MCEDC celebrates 50 years of shaping county economy

By Katie Collins Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

Posted:
10/02/2012 04:00:00 PM MDT

MCEDC Executive Director Cassandra Wilson, sitting left, has enjoyed seven months at her position now as she takes time with Administrative Assistant Kerri Schaffert, standing right, who holds in her hand the latest piece of technology to grace their office, an innovative flash drive complete with all the latest information on Morgan County given out to potential investors and businesses in lieu of the giant white binders that once enticed future employers to consider a site in Morgan County. (Katie Collins/News-Tribune)

A half century of molding the economic and business climate throughout Morgan County has both past and present staff of the Morgan County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) celebrating in style. On Monday, September 17 ,current Executive Director Cassandra Wilson, along with Administrative Assistant Kerri Schaffert, welcomed former directors such as Kari Linker who has moved on to the state level as the Director of Regional Development for the Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade, as well as Colorado State Representative Jon Becker to a subtle soiree. Bringing primary businesses and employment into Morgan County and linking local workers to local jobs may be a signature goal for Director Cassandra Wilson, but the corporation has aided the area in so many ways.From having a hand in shaping the Fort Morgan skyline to helping upstart and expanding businesses such as Leprino, Cargill, Ehrlich Toyota, Crop Production Services and the latest ventures in Brush including the Brush Meat (BM) Bison Processing plant and Colorado Ranchers Dairy Products Inc.'s latest Queso Campasino cheese factory which will inhabit the old pork plant, MCEDC has enjoyed substantial influence on the five incorporated communities, including Wiggins, Log Lane Village, Fort Morgan, Brush and Hillrose since the 1960s, affecting a majority of the area's business climate.

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Begun as an informal group of guys who gathered in the 60s with a main goal of developing Fort Morgan's industrial park, the role of MCEDC has changed dramatically since, expanding their focus on the entirety of the county through a board of directors representing various businesses and municipalities who've come together for the good of the whole. Through determination, flexibility and innovation, the staff and board of MCEDC have grown to promote a common mission in promoting Morgan County by serving as the primary coordinator of information and resources for new and expanding businesses to optimize the activities of economic and community development for the enrichment of its businesses and residents.Their vision in the 21st century is now to merge tradition and technology to provide choices, opportunities and quality living while prompting targeted job growth to sustain and improve that standard. And it's not just a goal of bringing in new business, but also of promoting and expanding existing business. When the Wal-Mart chain of stores decided to expand into the county, it was MCEDC who went out to the small retail businesses with a ‘Thinking Outside the Box' campaign to help stimulate their customer base and promote each shops unique offerings to curb the dominance of Wal-Mart. With an innovative new staff on hand, including former City of Brush Marketing Specialist Cassandra Wilson who has now enjoyed seven months at her new position as MCEDC Executive Director, the role of the corporation will continue to change with the times. Perched beneath the main floor of the Morgan County Administration Building located at 231 Ensign Street, Wilson and her assistant Kerri Schaffert have been busy with a plethora of upgrades and redesigns to put their own personal touch on the corporation, such as doing away with the old large, white binders that used to be passed out to potential investors and instead offering the very same, updated information on a technologically advanced flash drive for more ease of use. Although much of Wilson's work involves confidential work behind the scenes as a liaison between businesses and municipal governments, she bides most of her time in public visiting with city council's, businesses, potential investors and at many economic roundtable coffee discussions, aiding in everything from infrastructure-related inquiries and ideas to the county water development team.She also hopes to revitalize the office's Business Accelerator Program to help grow and expand new and existing small businesses in need of a strong support network to help transform business concepts into reality and to sustain their enterprises. The corporation will host the next of their monthly economic roundtable coffee discussions at the Lunchbox Café in Brush, on Friday, October 26 at 7 a.m., where anyone from the public is welcomed to come and discuss or listen through local ideas. MCEDC can be reached at their offices at 231 Ensign Street, #B-102, by calling (970) 542-3527 or 1-800-522-4333 or via e-mail at mcedc@morgancountyinfo.com. You can also peruse their website by visiting them at www.morgancountyinfo.com.